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About the Cover


Several species of pitohui, songbirds endemic to New Guinea, contain the potent neurotoxin homobatrachotoxin, apparently as a chemical defense against predators. Chemical defenses have been known to be used by many organisms but not by birds. See page 799. As a possible antipredator adaptation, certain races (top) of the variable pitohui (Pitohui kirhocephalus) mimic the plumage of the hooded pitohui (P. dichrous; bottom), which contains the highest concentration of toxin. A nonmimetic subspecies of the variable pitohui is in the center. [Illustration: John C. Anderton]


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)